Are hot baths/showers safe?

I suffer from all day morning sickness. I have nausea all day along with the chills, to the point where i just want to turn the shower on and sit in the tub letting the hot water hit my cold body, I feel like it makes me feel a little better. Is this safe during pregnancy? I heard hot tubs arent allowed, but are hot warm baths/showers safe? Thanks for the help!

Comments (36)

I take too very warm baths a day, my DH thinks they are too hot but they are warm compared to my usual hot baths when not preggo. I asked my dr. About it with my first, he said of course the make sure your not like sweating in there, BUT the biggest risk from a bath is falling. He is one OB though, ask yours.

The risk with hot water is that your body temp rise over 102Ëš. When your temp rises over that point, cell growth stops, affecting the baby.

Hot showers are okay. You aren't completely submerged in the water, so hot showers don't raise your body temperature as much as baths and hot tubs. If you start to feel overly hot, turn the water down. But hot showers aren't going to do any damage.

Got baths are okay as long as the water is a "comfortable" temperature when you get in. If the water is scalding hot, or uncomfortably hot when you are getting in, it's too hot. And since bath water cools over time, your cahnces of overheating, or your body temp rising above 102Ëš, are slim to none.

Hot tubs aren't okay because most are heated to 103Ëš or 104Ëš, which is too hot. IF you can set the water to 100Ëš or below, it should be okay if you limit the time you spend in the hot tub. But because hot tubs MAINTAIN a temperature, vs. a bath that slowly drops in temperature, that is where the potential danger comes from.

OK so... I searched BBC but found no expert answers about hot showers, only hot baths.

I take a hot shower every single morning. I did while I was pregnant with DD also, and she has no problems.

The raising-your-body-temp thing makes no sense to me. Just how hot could a shower possibly raise your body temperature? It's not like I step out of the shower and feel feverish... do you?

I mean, let's say you're sick and you have a fever. The fever would certainly last longer than a shower would! Yet I have never heard that pregnant women should be taking tylenol at the first sign of a fever. KWIM?

Tomorrow I am going to take my temperature the second I step out of the shower, just so I can settle this once and for all.